Weixian Huoshao (Baked Flatbread)

Weixian Huoshao

　　Weixian Huoshao

　　As early as the mid-Qing Dynasty, Weixian Huoshao became famous for its distinctive craftsmanship and crispy, savory flavor. After the chaos of the "Yanwang's Northern Campaign" during the Ming Dynasty, the Hebei region suffered from economic hardship and sparse population. In the second year of the Yongle era, Emperor Chengzu of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Di, "relocated people from Shanxi to repopulate the area."

　　With the migration of people from Shanxi, the craft of making baked flatbreads using a hanging oven, which originally came to Shanxi from the Western Regions, naturally spread to the Weixian area. The locals of Weixian ingeniously combined the techniques of northern Chinese pancakes and Hu (nomadic) flatbreads, using fine white flour and small-mill sesame oil from Weixian as the main ingredients, along with fine salt and Sichuan pepper powder, then baking them in a hanging oven. This created the uniquely flavored “Huoshao.” Though the crafting process of Huoshao is similar to that of baked flatbreads, their flavors and shapes differ. Because of its shape resembling an ox tongue, it is commonly called “Ox Tongue Huoshao.” As more and more people from Weixian started selling Huoshao elsewhere, the snack’s fame continued to grow, and it became widely known as “Weixian Huoshao.”

　　Weixian Huoshao is made with carefully selected ingredients, features a unique crafting process, boasts delicious layered flavors, tender meat, and a crispy crust. Each step — kneading the dough, stretching the strips, shaping the bread, and baking — involves special techniques. For example, the use of a hanging oven with charcoal as the base fire requires hard wood and gentle heat; managing the flame is crucial, with higher flames on the outside and lower inside; the raw dough is placed in the oven and turned four times while rotated seven times. Freshly baked Huoshao features a golden, crisp crust, soft inside, aromatic yet not greasy, and offers an exceptionally delightful texture. It is said that in the early years of the Republic of China, the most renowned Huoshao masters in Weixian were Huang Jie Shi Lao Mei and Xi Jie He You Lin. Around the time of liberation, Liu Zhen Ying, Li Bao Hai, and Ma Pei Qin also gained great fame. In recent years, a new generation of talents, such as Li Zhu, have emerged.

　　Today, Weixian Huoshao has added several new varieties, such as flaky Huoshao, sweet Huoshao, and stuffed Huoshao, to meet people’s increasingly refined tastes.